APTEKA 92

“Back in the day, there was a real pharmacy that had been functioning for 20 years here. We decided to save the common perception of this place by keeping the name and the old pharmacy theme. That is how the plates with anatomic prints, ceramic pills, and X-rays in the bathroom have appeared. However, the facade does not give out a new purpose for this place. From the outside, it looks like an updated pharmacy,” says the architect Viktor Zakharchenko. The decorative elements of the interior are reminiscent of what was “before” our cafe. Under the ceiling, there are VITAMIN M lamps designed by Serhii Makhno, and the walls are decorated with plates with human skeleton drawings that also serve as additional lighting. But no worries, these skeletons will not frighten the guests — they are to tell stories.

Pharmacy + cafe. Pharmaceutical atmosphere + Ukrainian traditional wall decoration technique. Together, these seemingly different themes, materials, and colours have created a place of a new type.

The interior of the cafe is like a magic pill. Two colours are prevailing here: pure white that resonates with the history of the place, and light clay brown that is complemented by a metal bar. The boundaries of the ceiling extend to the floor, lamp, sofa, and chairs, forming a perfect rectangle that appears to be a glass structure on the ceiling and a storefront on the bar. The past and the future are united in the “here and now” under the name Apteka_92.